And three-quarters of that success is single-handedly attributable to “The Special,” a simple recipe for success that has proved immensely effective: a massive bowl of noodles, chicken, deep fried spring rolls, and fresh sprouts, served with fish sauce and as much hot sauce as you can handle.

I recently sat down to a bowl of the famous noodles with my girlfriend. Like virtually every other experience I have had there, the visit followed the same familiar sequence: following the lead of the owner’s out-stretched finger, we sat down at a table in the corner, were given two glasses of lukewarm water and were asked if we would like spring-rolls with our Special. Being vegetarian, we declined both the spring rolls and meat portion of The Special, a request which seemed to both stun and amuse the owner.

In a sense, The Special only lives up to one of the two words in its name. While it isn’t all that special, it is The item (the existence of a physical menu is something I’ve long considered a myth, though purists insist upon its veracity and that The Special appears as No. 6). But at $6.95, it’s one of the cheapest, not to mention tastiest, executions of standard Vietnamese fare you’ll find in the city.

Norm is a man who has mastered a near flawless system of production, and to provide patrons with a menu would be a laborious and redundant task which would interrupt this well-worn, sesame oil-greased machinery of efficiency. More than likely, you’d end up ordering something very similar to The Special anyway.

So don’t be put off by Norm’s stoic demeanour and curt tone. Like all persons of genius, he has his idiosyncrasies, and like all successful business people, he doesn’t have time to hold your hand. Go there, sit down, shut up, and enjoy this sometimes painful, but ultimately rewarding rite of passage.

Early schematics of the Children’s Hospital of Saskatchewan were unveiled Thursday, giving students and residents of

Dan

At long last, accuracy and entertainment have procreated and given birth to a wonderfully readable and informative restaurant review. Well done.

Sounds Like Blank!

well said, Tomas, well said.

Marie

Awesome.

azlynn

I’ve been going there off and on for 20 years. I’ve never encountered him in a bad mood. He even gave my son free pop last time we popped in.
Edit: Also just noticed this article is three years old. haha…